37 Goblin Ceremonial Magic

Meanwhile, Tom approached the goblin at the closest unoccupied teller, and stared at him, saying nothing.

Eventually, the creature looked down at him – which, really, was a her, at the moment – warily. "Yes?"

"I have been absent for many years, and I believe my Gringotts vault will have been closed due to inactivity."

The goblin's wiry eyebrows went up. "And I assume that you wish for your account to be reopened, Miss …?"

Tom narrowed his eyes. "My name will not be necessary."

The goblin looked at him suspiciously. "Your wand, then?"

Tom once again withdrew his wand from his - Miss Jenkins's - pea coat pocket, but hesitated before giving it to the goblin. "I require the utmost discretion," he glanced down at the goblin's nameplate, "Redclaw. Believe me when I say that any indiscretions will be...dealt with."

Harry looked up at Tom. "I do?"

Tom smirked a bit. "You don't think your parents left you with nothing, do you?"

Harry's eyes widened, and he nodded.

Once Tom and the other goblin had left, Harry looked over at Redclaw, who was staring at him expectantly.

"I...er...believe my parents may have left something here for me."

The goblin simply looked unimpressed.

Harry sighed and went on, "Their names were James and Lily Potter…"

Redclaw's eyes widened with recognition. He nodded. "I see. Key?"

Harry panicked, for a moment. "I, well, don't have one. My guardians, they're muggles, you see…"

The goblin quirked an eyebrow, but didn't say anything. Instead, he poked his head out the door behind him and called, "Griphook!"

Yet another goblin appeared, stalking through the wide doorway with a purposeful stride, and looking curiously over at Redclaw.

"Mr. Potter wishes to access his account, but is without a key. I trust you will take care of him?"

Griphook glanced between the two, but then nodded, beckoning for Harry to follow him.

Meanwhile, Harry's mind was reeling as he recalled the poem at the entrance. Was he in trouble? Did they think he was impostor? What would they do with him? Would he be punished...eaten by a dragon, maybe? He shook his head. Tom wouldn't have left him alone if he believed the goblins would hurt him. After all, who ever heard of someone getting eaten by a dragon because they lost a key?

Well, it's probably happened once or twice, now that he thought about it.

Griphook had led Harry out of the waiting room through an arched doorway opposite to the one he had appeared through, into an office-like room, furnished with only a desk and two chairs, cushioned with black leather and gilded with gold. Griphook made his way to the chair behind the desk, reaching into one of the drawers. Harry watched with fascination as Griphook withdrew a small golden basin, and then an ornate dagger and placed them on the desk.

"Now Mr. Potter…As you are not in possession of your key, we must take a special blood test to affirm your identity."

Harry nodded. That was reasonable. Then he looked at the two objects questioningly. "Is there something special about that particular bowl and knife? They look awfully...specific."

Griphook stared at him oddly, as though he had not expected him to ask such a question. Why that was, he didn't know. The bowl and dagger really did look rather particular, and equally mysterious. "They are paraphernalia of goblin ceremonial magic, Mr. Potter."

Harry's eyes lit up. "Really? How does it work?"

The goblin looked at him suspiciously. "We do not reveal such things to outsiders."

Harry deflated a bit. "I see. That makes sense. So...how much blood do you need? Shall I just prick my finger?

Griphook dipped his head in acquiescence, pushing the two items toward Harry.

Without flinching, Harry sliced the dagger through his left index finger, watching in awe as the blood dribbled from his finger, falling into the basin, moving of its own accord and tracing his name, Harry James Potter, over the shimmering gold. "Brilliant."

Griphook nodded appreciatively. "It is goblin magic – it cannot be fooled by wizarding magic."

Harry perked up at this. "What's the difference between goblin magic and wizard magic? Except, um, the obvious…"

Griphook cast him an amused but reprimanding look. "We do not reveal such things to outsiders," he repeated. "Now, everything seems to be in order. Firstly, you can have a new key commissioned if you so wish, and we can nullify the old one."

Harry blinked. "Where is my old key?"

....

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